SDC Directing Initiative

CandidatesNominated by the individual institutions, students who have demonstrated success in direction. The institution must have entered either an associate or participating production in 2012. One student director from each region will be selected to participate at the national festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, DC each April. This award includes travel, lodging and per diem expenses, as well as attendance at KCACTF National Festival workshops and performances. EligibilityTo be eligible for the SDC student directing fellowship students must be nominated by a faculty member from the student’s institution. Nominated students must have demonstrated excellence in direction. The institution must have entered either an associate or participating production for the regional festival during the year in which the nomination occurs. The participant must be a bona fide student at the time of the regional festival.EventPresentation of a short scene. Before the presentation the candidate will provide the respondents with a prepared written statement that reflects their analysis of the scene. The scene will include bona fide student actors, and will be rehearsed at the institution for presentation in a preliminary round at the regional festival. If more than one director participates from the same institution, the directors are discouraged from sharing actors for their projects and the directors are prohibited from acting in each other’s scenes. Issues of logistics and technical needs will be left to the discretion of the Regional leadership.

SceneAll entrants will prepare one from the list of seven scenes selected for the 2014 festival (shown on left).

RespondentsThe number of respondents is determined by Regional leadership. The respondents are skilled directors who have a strong track record of responding to directing and are out-of-region colleagues or local professionals who are not affiliated with regional institutions. They will respond to the rounds of presentations, will participate in the “interview round,” and will decide which student director will attend the events in Washington DC. At least one member of the respondent team must be an SDC member.

Preliminary RoundA closed round. All of the candidates (directors only) are required to attend all of the first round presentations. Teachers/mentors who are the nominators-of-record for the student director are encouraged but not required to attend. Other than for the scene in which they are performing, actors are not allowed in the room. After the presentation the respondent(s) will react to the work in front of the closed gathering of directors and teachers/mentors.Interview RoundDirectors who are chosen for the final round will attend closed individual interviews with the respondents. At this time, the director’s book, written statements and approach will be discussed. No teachers/mentors or actors are allowed to participate in this phase of the event.Final RoundPresentation of scene in a round open to the public. A final round of presentations will consist of up to six (6) selected scenes. The final round will occur at least two days following the preliminary round to allow the director and actors to work on the scene based on feedback from the preliminary round. Limited rehearsal space will be provided. Teachers/mentors may advise the student directors during these rehearsals. A response session will follow the final round, and will include the scene directors, and may include teacher/mentors, actors and audience.

AnalysisAnalysis will consist of a prepared director’s book for the scene. The director’s book will be handed to the Directing Coordinator for the region prior to the preliminary round and will be returned to the student director at the final round.

Director’s StatementThe director’s written statement provides the personal, analytical and intuitive framework for the scene. It is a combination of script analysis, research, creativity and personal connection to the text. The statement should address the themes, images and specific lines of text that guide the director’s work, including the context of the scene; where/how the scene fits into the play.

Directors are encouraged to consider non-traditional casting for any of the seven scenes selected as can be supported by your concept.For questions regarding the SDC Directing Initiative, contact Maggie Lally at lally@adelphi.edu.